Many firearms include an alignment aid that assists a user to quickly and accurately aim the firearm. For example, handguns, shotguns, and rifles may include traditional “iron” sights that allow the user to aim the firearm at a target by visually lining up front and/or rear sights along the user's line of sight to the target. For many firearms, the sights are made from the same material and in the same color as the rest of the firearm. As a result, traditional sights may be difficult to quickly recognize and align, particularly in low light environments.
Fiber optic rods have been incorporated into firearm sights to enhance the visibility of the sights. Fiber optic rods are typically made from extruded plastic or glass that results in a flexible, semi-transparent fiber. Light entering the fiber refracts inside the fiber along the length of the fiber, making the fiber optic rods readily visible, even in low light environments. To further enhance visibility, florescent dyes may be added during manufacture to provide additional optical contrast between the fiber optic rod and adjacent materials.
A fiber optic sight typically includes a fiber optic rod incorporated into a traditional firearm sight. The firearm sight attaches to opposite ends of the fiber optic rod to hold the fiber optic rod in place, and the majority of the fiber optic rod remains uncovered by the sight. In this manner, the majority of the fiber optic rod is exposed to ambient light to enhance the optical contrast between the fiber optic rod and the associated sight. Although effective at creating the desired optical contrast, the exposed fiber optic rod is also more susceptible to inadvertent contact that results in increased wear and possibly damage to the fiber optic rod. As a result, the need exists for an improved alignment aid that can incorporate a fiber optic rod into a sight to provide the desired optical contrast while also protecting the fiber optic rod from inadvertent contact and damage.